


Sweet Dreams, Sleepy Angel

by chairmancatsby



Series: 5 + 1 [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Comfort, Domestic Fluff, M/M, magic in the air
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-19 00:25:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13111812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chairmancatsby/pseuds/chairmancatsby
Summary: Why was Magnus in a relationship with everyone Alec knew but him? Alec didn’t know that he and the Warlock hated each other either. He also forgot Magnus’ name somehow. And when did they become Mundanes?Or 5 times Alec had weird dreams + 1 time it was reality.





	Sweet Dreams, Sleepy Angel

**Author's Note:**

> Found this in my folder (along with...over 10 other unposted fics) but I remember that I really enjoyed writing this one so I decided to post it!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> xoxo  
> Trix

Today was the day. Alec had invited the man he had been crushing on for months to his family dinner that night. Alec had met the other at a Downworld rave on one of his missions with his siblings. Not that Alec had been attracted straight away upon meeting the man, but the other man had expressed a great interest in getting to know Alec better. While Alec was one to separate work and personal relationships apart, he hadn’t been able to help himself from agreeing to a date with the way the other had been looking at him that day.

His name was Magnus Bane, and he was the High Warlock of Brooklyn.

One outing led to the next and another and before Alec had known it, he had been falling in love. Not so luckily for him though, the other had only seen him as a very good friend, because it was rare to see a Shadowhunter so open to talking to a Downworlder. But that had been because Alec was interested in the other man, not because he had wanted to befriend him. So Alec had pretended to only like the other as a friend too. It had been easy because Alec hadn’t been out of the closet yet. As the two increasingly hung out, and with how kind, accepting, and encouraging Magnus had been, Alec had finally admitted his sexuality to his newfound friend.

Then Alec had done the worse thing he could possibly do – he had confessed without thinking, and he had been so sure that Magnus would had have ended their friendship there and then, but he hadn’t. The Warlock had done the second worst thing. He had friend-zoned Alec, and it had been for two reasons. One, he didn’t have feelings for the hazel-eyed Shadowhunter and two, he was happily in a relationship with another Shadowhunter.

But it hadn’t been enough to put a stop to Alec’s feelings for him, though Alec never acted upon them, not wanting to ruin anyone’s relationship. He liked Magnus as a friend and he still wanted to introduce him to his family.

“So, you’re coming over tonight, right?” Alec asked over the phone, fiddling with a loose string from his shirt. They had been talking about this for weeks and the Warlock had been ecstatic about it, eager to meet a Shadowhunter family so accepting of a Downworlder. And not just any Shadowhunter family, but the Lightwoods who Magnus had not had a very pleasant past with.

There was a sigh over the line which made Alec’s hand let go of the piece of string, letting it fall gracefully to the ground.

“Alexander, there’s something I have to tell you.” The Warlock’s voice was grave and Alec started to ready himself for the worse. Magnus was finally going to tell him how much of a bore he was as a friend and end their friendship. “I don’t think I can make it tonight,” Magnus continued after a beat, and Alec sighed in relief.

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Alec tried to say as casually as possible. He wasn’t going to let this affect their relationship, no matter how important tonight was for him.

There was going to be a family gathering tonight – his mother was bringing her new boyfriend, Jace and Clary were going together, Simon joining them because of Isabelle, and Max was finally in New York from Idris. As for Alec, he was going to bring Magnus. His family had been accepting of him coming out, and they all had been excited to meet the person he had been interested in for months (Jace had forced it out of him). Now that would have to wait for another day.

“There’s something else, Alexander.”

Uh-oh, maybe he was ending their friendship. Alec braced himself for Magnus’ words to hit him. Before the Warlock said anything else, Alec’s phone started to beep, signalling to him that the battery was going flat.

“Can we talk about this another time? My phone’s dying. And don’t worry about not being able to make it for dinner,” Alec rushed out in one breath. “I – ” he hesitated. “Bye.” Then he hung up, not giving Magnus the opportunity to say anything.

If Magnus didn’t want to be friends anymore, then he can do it after Alec had a nice evening with his whole family.

 

“I think they’re getting married,” Isabelle said to Jace and Alec as the three were setting up the table. Max was in the kitchen, helping their mother prepare the dishes.

The _parabatais_ shared a grin and Isabelle rolled her eyes affectionately.

“Did you guys not notice the ring on our mother’s finger?” As excited as Isabelle was, she was talking in a hushed tone, probably not wanting to let their mother hear from the kitchen. Though with how big the Institute was, it wasn’t likely that Maryse was going to hear them at all. Then again, Maryse could pop up silently and they wouldn’t even know when. Better safe than sorry.

“Of course, we did, Iz,” Jace answered with a knowing smirk as Alec nodded. “Anyway, I’m going to check the door. I think Clary and Simon are here.” Having said that, Jace left, leaving Alec and Isabelle to set up the rest of the table.

“He did that on purpose,” Isabelle complained half-heartedly, arranging the cutlery.

“We’re almost done anyway.”

At that moment, Maryse walked into the dining room, all smiles. “Are we almost done, children?”

Nodding, Alec straightened the last knife before walking over to his mother and pulling her into an embrace which she returned happily.

“We’re so happy for you, mom.”

Maryse laughed and brought a hand up to stroke the back of Alec’s head. “I’m happy for you too.”

Pulling away, Alec smiled sheepishly. “About that. He isn’t coming tonight. He said he couldn’t make it.”

“What?” It was Isabelle who shouted. Figured.

“He’s busy.” Turning around, Alec fixed his sister with a pleading look but she only stared back, face set into a stubborn line.

Just then, Jace walked in with Clary and Simon. Sensing that something was off, Jace looked to Alec for an explanation but the older man merely shrugged in response.

“He should be here by now,” Maryse announced to her three children just as Max ran out the kitchen. “I’ll go fetch him,” she told them before patting Max’s head.

Once Maryse was out of sight, Jace started speaking again. “A Shadowhunter?”

“If Simon and I saw correctly, he was quite sparkly,” Clary provided helpfully, looking to Simon for affirmation.

Simon added, “and tall.”

“We didn’t see any marks on him though, so probably not a Shadowhunter.” Clary was directing this to Jace who shrugged. “Be nice, okay?”

“Of course, we will,” Alec faked offence.

Footsteps sounded from outside the dining room and Isabelle immediately told all of them to hush as she rested her hands on Max’s shoulders. 

“Children.” Maryse’s voice sounded even before she stepped into the dining room. “I want you to meet your new father.” She walked into the room, smiling like she hadn’t in a while and it brought a smile to Alec’s face, seeing his mother so happy.

Finally, she was getting the happiness that she deserved. Ever since their father had left them, Alec hadn’t seen his mother’s face so bright. Of course, she was happy around her four children, but it was different from having someone to love and someone who loved her back. And Alec knew this from experience. Ever since he had met Magnus, his whole world had changed. Alec was going to make sure to thank this man properly, whoever he was.

“Magnus,” his mother called, and Alec didn’t register anything wrong at first, then he froze.

Magnus? No. it couldn’t be. It must be a different Magnus. But sparkly _and_ tall?

Then Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn appeared at the doorstep and Alec stared at the man, too stunned to move or say anything. Meanwhile, Isabelle, Clary, Simon, and Max were already rushing over to his side and introducing themselves as the Warlock greeted them joyfully. Only Jace walked to Alec’s side and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“You okay, buddy?” The blonde asked thoughtfully, scrutinizing Alec with a serious gaze.

Wordlessly, Alec nodded, lips going dry, and his legs going numb as his mother happily stood next to Magnus.

“Isn’t that the guy you met at the Downworld rave months ago?” Jace continued asking. “Isn’t that the guy you’ve been crushing on for _months_?”

“It is,” Alec managed to say through gritted teeth, earning himself a shocked look from Jace.

“Alec – ”

“Let’s have dinner!” Maryse exclaimed before Jace could say anything more.

“I’m fine,” Alec spat out more harshly than he intended to and if there was a hurt look in Jace’s eyes, he didn’t acknowledge it.

Everyone started to take their seats at the table when Magnus’ voice stopped Alec.

“You must be Alec.”

Looking at the Warlock, Alec spotted a hint of guilt in his eyes. The Shadowhunter scoffed and folded his arms across his chest. If he was looking hostile, so be it.

“You must be Magnus,” Alec said dryly, glaring at the Warlock with nothing but hatred in his eyes. Then in a smaller voice, he asked, “why didn’t you tell me?”

“I wanted to,” Magnus replied in a whisper. “But you wouldn’t let me. You hung up on me earlier!”

“Why didn’t you tell me _earlier_?” Alec hissed.

From the table, Maryse cleared her throat, drawing Alec’s and Magnus’ attention to the table where everyone was staring at them.

“Seems like you boys have a lot to catch up on,” Maryse laughed.

“Not at all,” Magnus replied the same time Alec said, “we do”.

The Warlock stiffly turned his head to his side, meeting Alec’s overly-sweet smile.

“We met at a Downworld rave,” Alec explained, walking over to the table and taking a seat next to Jace. His _parabatai_ threw him a worried look which he ignored as he continued smiling sweetly at the Warlock who looked about ready to combust.

Forcing a smile onto his own face, Magnus took a seat next to Maryse which just so happened to be opposite Alec. “Yes, we did.”

Looking to the Warlock, surprised, Maryse said, “you never mentioned this before, or that you knew my son.”

“I didn’t know he was your son,” Magnus lied as he took a sip from his glass. “This is really good,” he complimented as he placed it down.

“I thought the surname was obvious enough.”

Frowning, Maryse turned to her oldest son. “Why are you acting like this, Alec?”

“Because when I confessed to him, he didn’t tell me that he was already dating my mother.”

“Alexander!” Magnus shouted in horror as all heads on the table turned to look at him.

“This is awkward,” Simon mumbled, earning himself a whack on the arm from Isabelle, and he sank down in his seat.

Standing from his seat, Alec announced, “I’m done with dinner.”

“Enough of this, Alexander!” 

 

“Alexander.”

From deep within his slumber, Alec heard a voice calling him. A soft, soothing voice that made him feel like he was wrapped up in thick blankets and safe inside them.

“Alexander.”

The voice was growing louder and Alec’s brows drew together in frustration.

“Alec.” Then someone was shaking his shoulder and he groaned. “Alec. Alec. Wake up.”

Slowly blinking open his bleary eyes, Alec came face to face with Magnus. The Warlock had a concerned look etched upon his face as his hand that had been shaking Alec’s shoulder slid down to his forearm.

“Magnus,” Alec said, his voice croaky from sleep. “How long have I been asleep?”

Not giving Alec an answer, Magnus looked towards the open windows of his bedroom, and Alec followed the movement. The sky outside was a dark overcast, thunderous-looking clouds ready to explode and rain all over the pavements in Brooklyn. It was going to rain, that was for sure but it didn’t tell Alec the time.

“Almost a day,” Magnus finally said before turning back to face Alec.

As the Shadowhunter processed the words, his eyes widened to a comical extent which would make Magnus laugh under normal circumstances but Alec just woke up from a day’s sleep.

“You came back from the Hunter’s Moon with Jace completely wasted but Jace said you only drank a glass so I thought you’d be fine if I just let you sleep it off while I went to work,” Magnus explained, as he sat down on the side of his bed, pushing Alec’s hair away from his forehead. “I lost track of time while working and when I came back, you were still fast asleep and I got worried. I’ve been calling you for about an hour.”

Almost voicelessly, Alec said, “sorry”, while the Warlock shook his head.

“What matters is that you’re okay.”

“Don’t ever cheat on me,” Alec whispered, staring deep into Magnus’ eye.

“Nightmare, darling?” Magnus’ eyes softened as he ran his fingers through Alec’s hair. “I would never cheat on you. Why would you say that?”

“Bad dream,” was all Alec said before cuddling into Magnus’ side.

“Who would I even cheat on you with?”

Hesitatingly, Alec averted Magnus’ questioning gaze. “My mother.”

As soon as the words left Alec’s mouth, Magnus’ hand stopped moving. “Well,” the Warlock began as he straightened his coat. “I see that you’re well enough to talk.” With that, he stood up and left the room.

From that day, Magnus started avoiding Alec for three whole days before he gave in.

 

(“Magnus, I’m sorry.”

“That woman hates me.”)

 

*

 

After that horrible incident about dreaming of his mother and his boyfriend getting together behind his back, Alec was haunted by the possibilities of getting more nightmares. It was ridiculous, because it was just a dream, so it shouldn’t be affecting him so much. Strange as it was, he was weirded out by it and it was making a real mess out of his sleeping schedule.

So, Magnus, being the kind and powerful boyfriend he was, offered a light sleeping potion to Alec (the Shadowhunter was the one who begged for it).

“Don’t drink it unless it’s really necessary. I don’t want you to be relying on potions like that,” Magnus had warned him seriously as he passed the tiny vial of liquid to Alec.

And Alec had promised him that he would only drink it if it was really an emergency.

Lying in their shared bed for the past four hours and not getting a wink of sleep constituted as one, right? The Warlock was away in another country working on some spells, leaving Alec alone for the third night in the row. Not that Alec had any problems sleeping by himself, especially not now since he couldn’t really fall asleep and he didn’t want to be worrying Magnus. While he had been facing trouble sleeping for some time, he hadn’t had much trouble falling asleep the past two days. It did take spending two hours awake and some training to tire himself out but never like this – when he had already spent the whole day training at the institute, hunting demons, and then showering before collapsing into bed four, now five, hours ago.

This definitely was an emergency.

Pushing himself upright, Alec blindly reached for the vial from the bedside drawer before uncapping it and downing the liquid without a second thought. As the sticky mixture flowed down his throat, he started to feel the effects kick in and soon, he was lulled into a deep sleep.

 

Jace was acting stranger recently. The usually energetic, but broody Shadowhunter was all smiles lately. And as his _parabatai_ , Alec was _freaking the hell out_.

Determined to find out what was wrong with the blonde Shadowhunter, Alec decided to use the straightforward approach – corner him then question him. It always worked.

One day, while the pair were training in the Institute, Alec thought that it was the right moment. In between exchanging blows and swords clanking, Alec was ready.

“You’ve been acting weird lately, Jace,” Alec said as he swung his wooden pole towards the side of Jace’s head.

The blonde ducked easily, swiping his own pole at Alec’s feet. Distracted, the taller of the two’s legs got caught in Jace’s strike, and he fell to the ground. Grinning, Jace held a hand out to Alec but the latter grunted and stood up by himself. “Something’s on your mind.”

“Because you’re acting strange.” Getting back into position, Alec glared at Jace who smirked smugly at him.

“Yeah? How so?” Jace surged forward and started striking Alec with the pole, who blocked all of the oncoming blows with ease.

Then Alec spun around before landing a hard blow on Jace’s shoulder. The blonde laughed and hit the pole off.

“You’re happier,” Alec replied as they both stood still to catch their breaths.

Raising a brow, Jace spun the wooden pole a few times before jamming it to the floor. “And that’s a bad thing, why?”

Shaking his head, Alec mimicked Jace’s pose, leaning against his weapon. “Not like that. You’re happy in a way that you’ve never been before. The bond, it feels all bright, sunny, chirpy, and sparkly. Like where did the last one even come from?” By the end of his sentence, Alec was frowning, reaching out to their _parabatai_ bond and trying to sense how Jace was feeling now. All that he mentioned, oh and a burst of glitter. What the hell?

All Jace did was chuckle in response, kicking his pole off the ground and spinning it a few times before using both hands to hold it as he got back into an attack position. Grimacing, Alec simply positioned himself for combat with less theatrics.

They exchanged a few more blows, both unyielding until one of them scored another hit. It was Alec who managed to land a strike against Jace’s knees. Unprepared for the low-ground attack, Jace fell backwards onto his back. Just for good measure, Alec pointed the tip of his pole against Jace’s chest as the blonde laughed heartily, his chest moving up and down as he panted from the energy spent on training.

Breathing heavily himself, Alec smirked as he removed the pole and helped Jace to his feet.

“I’m in love, Alec, what can I say?”

What. The. Hell.

 

Jace had always had stupid ideas and Alec had never really liked any of them. This would rank one of the highest – meeting Jace’s new boyfriend.

_“I didn’t even know you were gay like me.”_

_“Me neither. I think this guy made me gay.”_

_“What the fuck, Jace?”_

So, now they were at Taki’s

“The High Warlock of Brooklyn?” Alec muttered when he saw Magnus Bane in all his sparkles walking over to their table. He was wearing a long black coat, decorated with white glitter, and a pair of pants that was matching it. His shirt was maroon in colour and made from silk. Chains of necklaces hung around his neck and his fingers were adorned with various rings. “Really?” Alec continued when the Warlock took a seat next to Jace and placed a kiss on the other’s cheek.

“You must be Alec,” Magnus greeted in response, turning to Alec with the widest grin Alec had ever seen on anyone. If this guy was trying to make a good impression on Alec, he was failing miserably. “Alexander, I presume.”

“Really, Jace?” Alec ignored the Warlock, turning his attention to his _parabatai_ instead who was smiling at him like an idiot in love. Scratch that. Because he _was_ an idiot in love.

A stern line appeared on Magnus’ lips. “You didn’t tell me that he’s quite rude.”

“Alec’s just like that,” Jace merely said, waving his hand like it was nothing.

“Why are you like that, Alexander?”

The corner of Alec’s lip twitched. Did the Warlock really just ask him that?

“Like what?” Alec replied, concealing how annoyed he actually was and humouring Magnus.

“Rude,” Magnus answered simply. “Alexander,” he added after a beat and Alec was ready to whip out a seraph blade but he had more self-control than that.

Counting to three in his head, Alec settled for telling Magnus, “stop saying that.” 

“What, Alexander?” There was an amused glint in Magnus’ eyes and that was when Alec knew that he was being made fun of.

“My name,” Alec hissed, his patience running thin. He would not allow a Warlock to tease him like that.

“But isn’t it your name, Alexander?”

 

His voice was so deep, so smooth, and he sounded so good just saying Alec’s name but the Shadowhunter couldn’t stand it any longer.

“Stop calling me that!” Alec shouted and sprang up from his sleeping position in an instant, his head colliding with a hard object as soon as he was sitting upright. Muttering a curse under his breath, Alec bent his head down started to rub the sore area. When he looked up, he came face to face with his Warlock boyfriend who looked…hurt.

“I’m sorry if you don’t like me calling you by your full name, Alec,” Magnus apologised, his eyes sad and his expression wounded like Alec had just insulted him. “You just never said anything about it. I thought you even liked it when I used your full name.”

What on earth was Magnus talking about?

“Should I call you Alec from now on, then?” Magnus asked, his eyes hopeful. “Or do you not want me to call you Alec either? You must give me answer, Alexa – Ale – or I wouldn’t know. I really didn’t know how much you hated it, though of course, I should have guessed since no one ever calls you by your full name…” the Warlock rambled on but Alec started to tune out. “…talk to me, please.”

Snapping out of his reverie, Alec stared at Magnus, incredulous. “Are you high?” He tried his very best to bite back a comment about Magnus being the _High_ Warlock, and waited for Magnus to reply.

“You shouted at me to stop calling you Alexander,” Magnus said. The Warlock’s also rubbing his head, Alec noted belatedly. Narrowing his eyes, Magnus scanned Alec suspiciously. “Nightmare?”

Groaning, Alec let his head fall back onto the pillow as he closed his eyes, frustrated. “I guess.”

“But you managed to fall asleep without any problems?” Magnus’ tone was light but there was an edge to it that Alec could hear after spending so much time with the Warlock.

Lying would get him nowhere. “I drank the potion.”

When the bed dipped, Alec cracked open an eye and saw Magnus looking at him worriedly before he fully opened his eyes.

“Alexander,” Magnus began calmly before he started stroking Alec’s hair. “What’s wrong?”

“The potion wasn’t drugged, right?” Alec asked, not really expecting an answer because he didn't even mean to ask the question. Of course, the potion didn’t have any other magical properties other than to help him sleep, Alec knew that. He trusted Magnus.

Eyes softening, the Warlock knew that Alec was simply trying to evade the topic. “You can talk to me, darling. What was the nightmare about this time?”

Despite how annoyed Magnus had been at Alec for even dreaming that he would abandon him for Maryse Lightwood, his mother of all people, the Warlock was incredibly worried about the welfare of the Shadowhunter. Granted that Magnus had also been petty about the situation, had even argued that dreams were the subconscious of one’s mind, he had been reluctant to give in so quickly. But seeing how this was the second time in a week that Alec was haunted by weird dreams, Magnus could hardly fault the other for anything.

“You can’t get mad. Or annoyed. Or frustrated. Or anything.” Taking Magnus’ hand into his, Alec looked at the Warlock. “Promise?”

“I promise,” Magnus whispered, squeezing the Shadowhunter’s hand for assurance.

“You and Jace were together.”

Opening his mouth in shock, Magnus took a few seconds before finding the words to say, “you don’t mean together, as in _romantically together_ , do you?”

Squirming on the bed but not letting go of Magnus’ hand, Alec moved down until the comforter was covering his mouth. “Ididmeanthat,” came his muffled reply.

“I didn’t quite catch you, darling.” As patient as ever, Magnus waited until Alec was ready to repeat his sentence. Though Magnus did have a feeling that he knew what Alec’s reply was.

Huffing, Alec pushed the comforters away and stared Magnus in the eye. “You turned Jace gay. I don’t even know how or why, but you did and Jace was so in love with you, it was frankly disgusting.”

“You’re in love with me,” Magnus pointed out.

“Not the point,” Alec said sternly as a cheeky smile crept onto Magnus’ face.

Leaning down to place a kiss on Alec’s forehead, Magnus pulled away a little. “So how did it end?”

“We were at Taki’s. Jace wanted me to meet you. And when I saw you, I thought ‘really?’. When you sat down, I _said_ ‘really?’.” There was a smirk on Alec’s face as Magnus hummed.

“Most beautiful guy you’ve ever laid your eyes on?”

“Quite the opposite actually.” Grinning, Alec leaned up slightly to peck Magnus’ lips before lying back down. “Then you couldn’t stop ending every sentence with my name.”

“Yeah?” Magnus whispered, his voice low and husky. “Alexander,” he purred, sending a tingle down Alec’s spine. “Like that, Alexander?”

“Mm,” Alec moaned when Magnus bent down to kiss Alec full on the mouth.

Climbing on top of Alec, Magnus caged Alec between his hands as Alec wrapped his arms around the Warlock’s neck to pull him closer.

“Sleep, angel” Magnus murmered against Alec’s lip before pulling away completely, ignoring the Shadowhunter’s whine of protest and rolling to the other side. “And dream of us.”

That sounded like a plan to Alec.

 

*

 

Two weird dreams in a week was a concern, but not one Alec was willing to blow up, so he had made Magnus promise not to tell anybody, especially his siblings. The Warlock had reluctantly agreed, but had also make Alec swear that if it were to happen again, he would tell Jace and Isabelle about it.

“Alec, you alright?” Jace asked as soon as Alec walked into the Institute early in the morning, having to commute since he stayed with Magnus now. “You feel a little…” The blonde didn’t have to complete his sentence as his hand went to his left abdomen where his _parabatai_ rune was.

Sighing, Alec contemplated on whether he should tell Jace the truth. Having had hardly any sleep the previous night, Alec looked ghastly. It hadn’t been like he hadn’t wanted to sleep, because he had really wanted to. But sleep had evaded him almost the whole night while Magnus had been fast asleep next to him, arms around his torso, breath against his neck. Not wanting the Warlock to know that he hadn’t slept at all, Alec had simply got out of bed earlier than usual and had gone to the Institute, not expecting anyone to be awake but of course, Jace would be out of bed, just to prove Alec wrong.

“I’m fine, Jace,” the head of the Institute settled for saying, avoiding his half-brother’s look of concern. “I’ll be in my office,” Alec said with a final tone, not wanting Jace to ask any more questions because he might start to feel increasingly inclined to give his _parabatai_ an answer.

The blonde let him go without saying any more, but his worried gaze lingered on Alec.

After Alec was done reading the papers, he leaned back against the chair and stretched, a few kinks cracking in the process, and he sighed thankfully as he felt his joints loosening up. Slumping further into the chair, Alec’s eyelids started drooping.

 

“We need Magnus Bane,” Alec announced to the rest of the members of the Institute. “Seeing how important this mission is, I’ll be the one to see him.” Everyone around the table nodded in agreement. “Dismissed.”

When the people around him cleared, Alec let out a long and deep sigh. He had never liked the High Warlock of Brooklyn and now he had to go ask for a favour. Mentally preparing himself by telling himself that this was his duty, he took all the necessary equipment, which wasn’t much, and headed for the High Warlock’s loft in Brooklyn.

 

“Who calls upon the High Warlock?” Magnus’ annoying voice boomed through the intercom.

“The head of the New York Institute, Alec Lightwood,” Alec said in flat tone. Then he heard a buzz and he started ascending the stairs.

When he reached the Warlock’s door, it was already open. Clearing his throat, Alec looked inside the house and saw Magnus Bane beckoning him in. He frowned but did as he was instructed.

“What do you want, Lightwood?” Magnus was lounging on his long sofa, stroking a cat sitting by his side as he read the morning papers.

The Warlock was dressed in an aqua silk robe, with gold patterns running along the seam of both sides, and a pair of black pants. This man had no decency. But Alec wasn’t there to judge the Warlock’s clothes. “The Clave requires your services.”

Before Alec was even done speaking, Magnus was already rolling his eyes. He flicked his wrist and the door slammed behind Alec.

“Why do you Nephilims always need me?” The Warlock’s tone was unsympathetic and annoyed, even.

Reminding himself that this was his duty again, Alec said, “this is important.”

“As it always is,” Magnus replied smoothly, not putting his paper down. “Speak, Nephilim. Before I change my mind.”

“We need you to help us locate a den of rogue vampires from the Institute,” Alec recited the words from the fire message he had received the previous night.

Tutting, Magnus waggled his finger in front of Alec. “On my terms, little Nephilim. I do it in my loft, you can come back for the location later or wait here until I’m done. Either way, I’ll be collecting payment upfront.”

Dealing with this Warlock was always a pain. Too bad he was as powerful as they came. Alec didn’t really have a choice. “Fine, I’ll come back later.”

 

When Alec went back two hours later, believing that he had given the Warlock sufficient time, he was horrified to find out that the Warlock was still dressed in the same robe he had been wearing when Alec had visited earlier, sitting on the same spot, and reading the same damn paper.

“You’re kidding me, right?” Alec deadpanned as he stepped through the threshold.

With a flourish of his hand, Magnus shut the door much more softly this time. “I’m still preparing myself.”

Biting his tongue back from an insult, Alec gritted out, “fine.”

Not wanting to touch any of the Warlock’s things, Alec chose to remain standing in a soldier pose in front of the door. Not that Magnus offered him to sit.

Two more hours later, Magnus finally closed the paper. “I’m done.”

“You did nothing,” Alec pointed out flatly.

Smirking, Magnus slowly folded the paper and laid it next to his cat. Even the damn cat was in the same position as it had been before. Standing up and making his way over to Alec, Magnus stopped just right in front of him. “I was done long before you came.”

Before Alec could hurl any curse words at the Warlock, Magnus already had a finger to his lips. “Payment first.”

Rolling his eyes, Alec shoved a cheque into Magnus’ open hand.

Checking the slip of paper before pocketing it, Magnus casually said, “Park Avenue”, at the same time he waved his hand to open the door. 

“Exact location.” The Warlock really made Alec feel like running a seraph blade through his glitter-gelled hair.

Wagging his finger in that annoying manner again, Magnus fixed Alec with a stern look. “You weren’t specific.” Spinning around gracefully, walking back to the sofa, he continued, “and I’m sure it’d be pretty obvious when you reach there.” After he sat down, he regarded Alec thoughtfully before snapping his fingers, making the front door swing open. “Off you go, Nephilim.”

Internally growling, Alec walked out the door without another word, like the professional Shadowhunter he was.

 

Park Avenue was unnervingly quiet when the group of Shadowhunters from the Institute sent by the Clave arrived in the dead of the night, Suddenly, there was an inhumane screech from a distance, then it got nearer.

“It’s a trap!” Alec shouted. “Get out!” he shouted as loudly as he could to all the other Shadowhunters, but soon the place was flooded with Shax demons.

Damn Magnus Bane.

Alec quickly strung an arrow and shot without a second thought when a Shax demon was about to attack another Shadowhunter. “Fall back!” Loading another arrow, Alec pulled his string taut, aiming for another demon. There were too many of them.

Gritting his teeth, Alec released the bowstring and let the arrow fly, and let it whistle in the air.

 

Jerking awake from his sleep, Alec groaned when he felt a soreness in his back. He took in his surroundings, and realised abashedly that he had fallen asleep in his office at the Institute. What time was it? Why didn’t anyone wake him up?

“Alexander.”

Immediately, Alec turned his head to the doorway and found Magnus standing there. “Magnus,” he greeted and sat straighter in his chair. “How long have you been standing there?”

Walking into the room, Magnus went over to Alec as the latter stood up to meet him halfway. “It’s dinner time. I came to pick you up.”

“I’ve been asleep since this morning?” Alec asked with a frown.

An apologetic look appeared on Magnus’ face. “I had to tell Jace, I’m sorry. Your _parabatai_ was quite insistent and refused to leave my loft until I told him what was going on with you. I suspect he must have told Isabelle afterwards. They ran the Institute just fine today, don't worry. There wasn’t much activity going on today.”

Letting the information sink in, Alec felt an oncoming headache.

“What was it about this time?”

Startling a little, Alec hesitated. “I think we hated each other. The Shadowhunters had to deal with a group of unlawful vampires.”

Maybe Alec had not realised it, but Magnus’ heart swelled when Alec didn’t refer to the Shadowhunters as ‘we’, drawing a clear distinction between their two races.

“So I went to your loft, requesting for their location and you were being so.” Alec grimaced. “Annoying about it.”

The Warlock chuckled and placed a kiss on Alec’s lips, making the Shadowhunter grin in return. “Anything else?”

Alec nodded. “I waited for hours before you would give me an address, and it wasn’t even the exact location.”

“I believe you have to specific when asking,” Magnus noted, playfully smirking at the Shadowhunter who glared at him.

With a frown, Alec continued recounting the dream, “when the Shadowhunters arrived at the place, it was a trap. The place was infested with Shax demons.”

Humming thoughtfully, Magnus said, “making a Shadowhunter wait for information, giving vague details, leading them into a trap. Sounds like something I would do if I were in a very vengeful mood to a Lightwood I have an intense hatred for.”

Fingers curling into fists at his sides, Alec fixed Magnus with a frustrated look. “If it were real, I would be at fault. All responsibility would fall on _me_. I was terrified, Magnus. Leading a group of Shadowhunters into a trap and not suspecting anything. This is serious,” Alec said angrily.

Placing a hand on Alec’s forearm, Magnus looked guilty. “But I would never do that to you, Alexander. I love you more than I can even imagine. I’m sorry if I made you feel that I was trivialising the matter because I would never intentionally do that to something you find significant. And your dreams, these nightmares, they are important to me, and I wish I could make them better.”

Softly, Alec said, “it’s okay. Magnus, it’s okay. I know you wouldn’t do that to me. I’m sorry too. It’s just these dreams.” Alec motioned to himself. “I don’t know why they keep coming but they’re not affecting me greatly, so I can live with them. You don’t have to worry.”

“But I’m worried about you,” Magnus told Alec as he placed his hand on the other’s cheek.

Covering Magnus’ hand with his own, Alec smiled. “You don’t have to. And you were saying, dinner?”

“I can make a portal if you’re too tired to walk,” came Magnus’ instant response, his fingers crackling with blue light and he looked ready to make a portal appear as soon as Alec said the word.

But the Shadowhunter shook his head, pushing Magnus’ hand down, making the blue sparks fizzle out. “Let’s walk. I want to clear my head.”

Smiling, Magnus stretched out his hand towards Alec. “Shall we, then?”

Wordlessly, Alec took Magnus’ hand and squeezed it tightly. Though when Alec realised that he still had unfinished business to handle, he looked at Magnus anxiously. “But the Institute. There’re things that I have to do.”

“Even the greatest leaders deserve a break,” Magnus kindly offered.

“I just slept for the whole day in my chair where I’m supposed to be doing work, in case you forgot,” Alec deadpanned.

Sighing, Magnus looked into Alec’s eyes. “I want you to listen to me very carefully, Alexander. You work too much. The Institute won’t collapse if you’re not running it for a day because you’ve done such a wonderful job that the other Shadowhunters would know what you want without you giving orders for today. Besides, Jace and Isabelle are handling it fine. You can get back to work tomorrow.”

There’s a reluctant look on Alec’s face but he eventually sighed and gave in, his shoulders relaxing, and he led Magnus out of his office.

 

*

 

It had been awhile since Alec and Magnus had gone to sleep together, but that night, the pair were finally free from their duties and could afford to go to bed early.

Before they had gone to bed, the Warlock had worked on a few extra protection wards around their room. He had also placed a few spells on Alec, with the Shadowhunter’s permission of course, to help him sleep better. Magnus had suspected that maybe some magic was affecting Alec when he was asleep, sipping into his unguarded mind when he was resting. Though Magnus had yet to find any specific explanation for the cause of Alec’s weird and vivid dreams, he had promised Alec that he would find a cure, or at least what was going on. Meanwhile, the Shadowhunter had told him to relax, and to prioritise his duties as the High Warlock, because that was more important. Whatever was making Alec have these crazy dreams, it would go away. Or that was what the Shadowhunter believed.

“Magnus?” Alec called out when the Warlock hadn’t gone to bed. The lights in the room were turned off and while Alec had excellent night vision, he was too tired to keep his eyes fully open, let alone try to find his boyfriend in the dark. “Magnus?” he said again.

After a moment, Alec felt the bed dip and he turned to face the other. His eyes could barely stay open but he kept them open until he could see the Warlock’s face.

Wrapping his arms around Alec’s waist, Magnus moved closer to the Shadowhunter, burying his face in the other’s hair, inhaling the scent of sandalwood and the smell of freshly-cut grass. “I’m right here.”

“Mm,” Alec mumbled, tilting his head up to kiss Magnus’ lips before cuddling into the Warlock’s chest, and winding his arms around the other’s torso.

“Sleep tight, my angel,” Magnus murmured sleepily into Alec’s hair as the Shadowhunter nodded, his eyelids drooping shut.

 

It came as a shock to Alec when he heard that Robert Lightwood, his father, had been using his position as the Inquisitor to carry out unsanctioned missions against the Clave to assist several groups of rogue Downworlders who were unsatisfied with the Accords. The Lightwood family name was put to shame once again and as the heir to the family, it was now Alec’s duty to rectify that. There were many things Alec could do to prove himself and his family worthy again – run the New York Institute well for one, but that chance was ruined when the Clave had sent Lydia Branwell to take over the operations of the Institute. That left Alec with only one other thing he could do to quickly restore his family’s name – get married to a nice female Shadowhunter from a respectable family. Lydia’s arrival from the Idris was opportune.

She was a nice girl, a great fighter, and loyal to the Clave. Her family’s name was prestigious, belonging to one of the old Shadowhunter families. While Alec hadn’t liked the idea of someone other than him being in charge of the Institute very much, she had proved herself a decent and capable leader, and she was running the Institute just fine. Alec worked well with her and she was a pleasant partner.

So, Alec did the thing he had never expected himself to do in his whole life. Though with the circumstances that his family was facing, he had to do it. He had proposed. “Lydia Branwell, will you marry me?”

And Lydia, she had agreed without a second thought. It wasn’t that she liked Alec in a romantic way, but she knew her duty as a Shadowhunter as well as Alec did and being married was a respectable honour. While she had had a husband before, he had died, allowing her to take on new marriage runes. All in all, Alec’s proposal had been something she had not been able to reject, for the sake of her duty and honour.

Perhaps that was all marriage had meant to Lydia, and it should for Alec too. Except that it meant more. For a Shadowhunter, marriage was for life, and it meant that Alec could never admit his true feelings, or show his true self. Alec could never seek the happiness that he had always wanted but had known that he could never have.

Ever since Alec was young, he had known that there was something wrong with himself. He hadn’t been normal like the other children. When Jace had come into his family when he had been ten, his suspicions had been confirmed. Acting like he had been uncomfortable with the blonde Shadowhunter, Alec had been able to cover up his attraction towards the other. While over time, he had grown out of his feelings for Jace, especially since they had become _parabatai_ , Alec had known that he still wasn’t normal.

So, whilst his fascination for Jace had faded into nothing, Alec had known that he had still been attracted to men. Still was attracted to men.

Standing at the altar, Alec suddenly felt that he was unprepared to get married. Lydia was standing opposite him, looking stunning in her white wedding dress. But Alec had no feelings for her. He liked her well enough as a friend, a comrade, and a partner, but not a wife, no. Runes decorated her arms and her around her neck. It was enough to remind Alec that this was his duty. A Shadowhunter’s duty always came first, everything else came second, including one’s own happiness.

As Lydia smiled at him, she picked up the stele, positioning it over Alec’s arm, ready to draw on the rune which would bind them together in marriage. At that moment, a look of hesitation flashed across Alec’s face and Lydia must have noticed it because she paused, giving Alec a concerned look.

Inhaling deeply, Alec turned to the entrance of the beautifully decorated hallway where the wedding ceremony was held. Everyone in the room was watching them, watching _him_ as he hesitated and looked to the open archway where Lydia had walked in from moments ago, hoping for someone, anyone to walk through the door which was not visible from where he was standing. There was no sound of the doors opening, and there was no one walking in to disrupt the wedding.

“Alec. Alec.” Lydia’s voice snapped him out of a trance he didn’t know he had fallen into. When he turned to face his soon-to-be-wife, she looked apprehensive. She had moved the stele away from his arm, holding it by her side now. “Are you okay?”

Swallowing, Alec nodded. “I’m fine.” No one was going to go through those pair of doors to stop the wedding. He was going to have to go through with this. Alec was a responsible man, he was going to go through with this. “I’m ready,” he lied.

The touch of the stele to his forearm felt so wrong but once Lydia was done drawing the rune, it was his turn. With steady fingers, Alec picked up the stele, and with a determined look, he drew the Wedded Union Rune over Lydia’s heart. After he was done, he felt it – the connection with Lydia, binding them together in marriage. It was as good as forever.

There went Alec’s dreams of ever being his true self, eternally bonded to a loveless relationship, and never having the chance to meet someone who would be willing to love him for who he was, heart and soul.

Life with Lydia was normal. The pair ran the Institute together, sanctioned missions, made reports to the Clave, fought against rogue Downworlders and put them under control, annihilated demons, protected Mundanes. Rinse and repeat. It became somewhat of a ritual. And throughout it all, they remained good friends, but never romantically attached.

Then one day, the High Warlock of Brooklyn visited the Institute and as soon as Alec laid eyes upon the other man, he felt his chest constrict and his heartbeat increase. Because that man was everything that Alec had ever wanted in his entire life. He was tall and held himself in a confident manner. His hair was pushed up, the tips dyed blue, and he was dressed in a magnificent navy blue shirt, and sparkly silver pants. That man was beautiful.

As if his thoughts were out in the open, Isabelle shot him a reprimanding look, one that reminded him that he was married. The Wedded Union Rune rested heavily on his hand and never before had he felt its presence so significantly, as if reminding him of his connection to Lydia. So, he pushed aside his feelings and turned away from the Warlock, allowing Lydia to deal with him. But not without one last, longing look at the other, while wondering what it would be like if he wasn’t a Shadowhunter in another life and had met that man under different circumstances.

The Warlock never visited the Institute again and Alec never found out his name. Just like that, Alec lived his normal wedded, Shadowhunter life.

 

“No,” Alec said sharply, his eyes snapping open. Beads of sweat rolled down the side of his head and he was panting harshly. Clutching the front of his shirt, Alec pressed his fingers down, feeling his heart thump erratically in his chest. He gulped, trying to breathe slowly but to no avail, his quickened pulse not slowing down.

“Alexander,” Magnus began worriedly, sitting up as he took the Shadowhunter’s hand and rubbed his fingers. “What’s wrong?”

“Magnus, I – ” Then Alec started anxiously, his hand shaking within Magnus’ grip.

Furrowing his brows in concern, Magnus tightened his hold, moving closer to Alec. “What happened? You’re scaring me.”

Shakily, Alec said, “I didn’t know you.”

Confused but worrying more about Alec, Magnus started to comb the Shadowhunter’s hair. A wave of relief washed over him when he felt Alec relaxing. “What do you mean?”

Sighing heavily, Alec sat up as Magnus moved his hand away from Alec’s head. He ran his own fingers through his own hair before leaning into Magnus’ side. Immediately, the Warlock wrapped his hands around his shoulders. “It was awful. I never met you and I never came out to anybody. I was the perfect soldier, the perfect Shadowhunter that my parents always wanted me to be.” Alec choked, and Magnus turned Alec’s head to look at him. Seeing Magnus’ face made Alec feel calmer. “I got married to Lydia Branwell to uphold my family honour. I didn’t know you,” he repeated his previous words, choking at the end.

“It’s not real,” Magnus said soothingly, thumb stroking the other’s cheek slowly and gently. “I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere. And I promise that I’ll give you the happiness that you deserve.”

Lowering his eyes, Alec lifted a hand to cover Magnus’ hand. Slowly, he pulled it away before gently placing it on his knee. Then he cupped Magnus’ face.

“You know you mean the world to me, right? I don’t think I can live without you. And that dream just now? It felt so real, and it made me so scared. I can’t imagine living in a world without you.”

Expression softening, Magnus held onto Alec’s forearm. “I can’t live without you either. Don’t think about it, Alexander. I’m here with you.”

Removing his hands, Alec scoffed softly. “It’s a bit difficult considering how I just dreamt about it. These dreams aren’t like my normal ones. They stay with me, and worse of all, they feel real, and they make me think they’re real.”

“But I’m right here, aren’t I?” Magnus said gently, curling his hand over Alec’s Deflect Rune. “And I’ll always be here, by your side.”

Biting his lower lip, Alec asked, “am I being selfish? Needing you by my side?”

“I need you by my side too,” Magnus answers simply, bringing a smile to Alec’s face. “Let’s go to sleep now, okay? I’ll hold you until the morning.”

Nodding, Alec lied back down, allowing Magnus to wrap his arms around him once again as the Warlock whispered into his ears promises of the future. And for the rest of the night, Alec slept peacefully, without any dreams bothering him.

 

*

 

If only dreamless nights could last for Alec. Magnus was in another country to meet one of his clients, leaving the whole loft to Alec. The Shadowhunter had gone to bed after a long soak in the tub. Once he had been lying comfortably on the bed, sleep had gone to him easily.

 

When Alec opened his eyes, he was standing in line in a coffee shop. It was his turn. And before him stood the most gorgeous man he had ever laid eyes on. The other man had beautiful bronze skin, broad shoulders, and in a pair of deliciously tight pants. Alec thought that the barista should really be wearing an apron, but he wasn’t complaining. Especially when he had a clear view of how those jeans hugged the other’s muscled-thighs if he just lowered his gaze. This was one of the few moments Alec was thankful for his height.

“Can I get you something, or are you just going to stare at my legs with your mouth hanging open?” The man’s voice sounded musical and it was doing all the right things to Alec’s brain.

Clamping his mouth shut, Alec’s cheeks flushed pink. The cashier was sporting a teasing smirk on his lips, making Alec incredibly self-conscious.

“Mocha,” Alec said the first thing that came to his mind.

“That’s all?” the beautiful man (Magnus, Alec read from his name tag) asked, keying in Alec’s order before looking up and flashing Alec the most dazzling smile ever.

“Yep,” Alec popped his ‘p’, bringing a large smile to Magnus’ face.

“Wait at the side, darling.” The pet name made Alec blush as he searched his wallet for the exact change. But the way the cashier had said it sounded so natural that Alec suspected he flirted with everyone like that. His mood dampened instantly at the thought as he moved to the side to wait for his order.

He hadn’t specified that he wanted his drink in a mug, like he always had it when he planned on sitting in the café, so it came in a takeaway paper cup. Grimacing, Alec took the cup by its holder and looked around for a seat. There weren’t many people in the café since it was in the late afternoon.

As Alec drank his coffee, he replied to emails on his phone. From the corner of his eye, he spotted Magnus, The Cute Cashier, constantly throwing glances at him and he secretly felt pleased. When Magnus’ eyes stayed on him for a longer period, he smiled around the rim of the paper cup as he took a sip from the hot liquid.

Only when Alec was done with his coffee did he notice a number scribbled on the side of his paper cup. Below the number were the words “call me” accompanied by a winking face. When Alec looked up, he saw the barista looking away from him immediately and he grinned. Looking at the number, Alec keyed it into his phonebook, checking twice just to be sure.

There wasn't a reason for Alec to be lingering around the café any longer since he was done with his drink. He wasn’t desperate enough to order a cake or another drink so he could stare at the cashier.

But Alec was smitten enough to go back to the same café the next day, and the day after, and the next, and for two whole consecutive weeks. At the same time every day, Alec would be at the counter ordering the same drink – a cup of mocha in a takeaway cup. The first time he had ordered it that way, Magnus had been largely amused, trying to stifle a laugh as he had written Alec’s order and a message on the cup.

Magnus’ short messages were what Alec looked forward to every time he ordered his drink. It started off short and simple. The barista had written things like “have a nice day”, “enjoy your drink”, or a simple smiley face. Then they started to grow increasingly flirty from the fifth day onwards. Things like “I love the colour of your eyes”, “your hair looks sexy pushed back like that”, and “love your ass in those jeans” started to appear.

While Alec felt mostly flattered by the comments, they also made him especially embarrassed. He would always look around, checking if anyone could read those messages before he turned it towards him and took extra care to drink from the same spot. Alec also had a suspicion that Magnus was deriving joy from making Alec flustered judging by the number of times he had spotted the barista trying to control his laughter and failing most of the time after observing Alec for a few seconds.

With Alec’s constant visits to the café, he never really had the opportunity to use Magnus’ number. Until one day, when he went to the café, Magnus wasn’t there to take his order. In fact, Magnus wasn’t in the café at all. He had been going to the café enough times for the other workers to recognise him but he was too shy and awkward to actually approach any of them to ask about Magnus. He didn’t want to seem too desperate too.

Though there was one broody-looking barista with dark hair who looked like he wanted to tell Alec about Magnus’ whereabouts.

When Alec went home that night, he decided to send Magnus a text message. After typing and deleting multiple one-liners, Alec settled for something short and sweet.

_From: Alec  
To: Magnus_

_Didn’t see you in the café today_.

He cringed as soon as the message got sent out. They weren’t even friends! But there was no way he could un-send the message so all he could do was to wait for a reply. It didn’t take long and Alec jumped when his phone dinged, alerting him that there was a new notification.

_From: Magnus  
To: Alec_

_Did you miss me?_

There was a winking face after the short message. The barista wasn’t even really winking at him but it made Alec blush nonetheless and he didn’t know what to reply. Thankfully, another message came in soon after.

_From: Magnus  
To: Alec_

_Anything I can help you with, darling?_

Again with the pet name and again it looked so natural. Groaning, Alec struggled to type a proper reply. Deciding to get over his embarrassment and feeling emboldened, Alec sent out his message as soon as he was done typing.

_From: Alec  
To: Magnus_

_I want your work schedule_

The reply came quickly again. It was a picture of the barista’s work schedule, along with the caption, _anything for you, darling_.

Alec wanted to die of mortification.

But he also wanted to see Magnus again. He didn’t reply to the barista’s message and woke up feeling guilty, praying the whole way as he washed up that Magnus did not find him rude or anything.

Once he was done washing up, he got ready to leave the house and go to the café again before going to work. But suddenly, a dizzy spell hit him without any warning. Closing his eyes shut, he leaned against the wall and took in deep breaths.

 

When Alec opened his eyes again, he was faced with the ceiling, lying on familiar silk sheets. Stretching his hand out, he realised that the other side of the bed was still warm. Pushing off the covers, Alec sat up and rolled his shoulders. What was up with that dream? It was so…mundane.

“Magnus!” Alec called out, rushing to the living room where he hoped he would find his boyfriend. He sighed in relief when he saw the Warlock sitting on the sofa.

“Good morning to you too, darling,” Magnus greeted, turning to Alec with a sweet smile when the other sat down next to him. “I have good news.”

“I’m still a Shadowhunter, right?” Alec asked anxiously, showing Magnus the back of his left hand.

Frowning, Magnus looked at Alec’s proffered hand. “Your Voyance Rune is there so, yes?”

Sighing, Alec retracted his hand and slid down slightly, letting his head fall backwards against the sofa. “I had a nightmare. You were a Mundane. _I_ was a Mundane.” Magnus raised a brow. “And I was buying coffee in this café where you worked as a barista.”

Humming, Magnus smiled. “Sounds like a fantasy to me.”

“It’s weird,” Alec said pointedly.

“Maybe it’s an alternate dimension where we’re both Mundanes,” Magnus suggested, leaning in to place a kiss on Alec’s nose, making the Shadowhunter go cross-eyed for a second.

Contemplating Magnus’ words, Alec nodded. “I like the idea of that. What’s your good news anyway?”

Eyes lighting up, Magnus said, “I figured out what’s causing your dreams. Faerie magic.”

That didn’t sound good. Anything to do with the Faeries was never good.

“What do you mean?”

“I think you consumed some Faerie drink by accident. I figured it out when I looked into your mind last night after you told me to when I got home.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me last night?”

Magnus pouted at Alec’s accusatory tone. “But you were sleeping so soundly, I couldn’t bear to wake you up.”

Alec rolled his eyes affectionately. “So how do you cure it?”

Leaning back against the chair, Magnus folded his hands on his lap. “You don’t. It’ll wear off after two weeks. Seeing that two weeks is almost up from the first time you got that horrendous dream, I say it’ll soon be completely gone.”

Quickly pecking Magnus on the cheek, Alec grinned. “Thank you. You’re the best. Can you tell me what happened then? What you saw in my mind when you looked into it last night?”

“I think it’s easier if I showed it to you.” Placing his hands on the sides of Alec’s head, Magnus closed his eyes in concentration, working his magic.

Suddenly, Alec was in the Hunter’s Moon. Looking around, it looked perfectly normal, except there was a carbon copy of himself sitting on a seat opposite the bar counter. He froze, until he heard Magnus’ voice in his mind telling him that this was just a vision, and he relaxed instantly.

He remembered that he had gone to the Hunter’s Moon with Jace because the latter had wanted a revenge-pool match against Luke’s pack of werewolves. While Jace had gone over to the pool table, Alec had remained at the bar, waiting for his _parabatai_ to finish the game.

Watching the vision-Alec carefully, Alec waited to see what had happened. Maia walked over to his vision and for a moment, Alec wondered if Maia had anything to do with his weird dreams, then he erased the thought from his mind as quickly as it had appeared. She wouldn’t do such a thing.

“What can I get for you?”

“Just water,” vision-Alec said.

A teasing smile appeared on Maia’s face. “I thought dating the High Warlock of Brooklyn would make you become more of an alcohol-lover.”

Vision-Alec laughed. “Magnus’ tastes have nothing to do with me.”

Grinning, Maia nodded. “A glass of water coming right up,” she announced loudly, making vision-Alec roll his eyes fondly at the young werewolf.

Alec smiled, as he watched himself interacting with Maia, remembering the moment. It was all normal, so what had gone wrong?

As Alec continued observing himself, he noticed that his carbon copy was now looking at Jace at the pool table, losing miserably against the werewolves. Grimacing, he turned around, spotted a glass of clear liquid sitting diagonally in front of him. Assuming that it was his plain drink, he took it and gulped down the liquid just as Maia hissed, “Alec!” in mortification.

“I’m gonna check on Jace,” vision-Alec slurred. Funny, the water was making him tipsy.

A wave of dizziness hit vision-Alec as he stood up from the bar stool. Swaying unsteadily on his feet, he turned around to look for his parabatai. Maia’s saying something from behind but all Alec heard was static noises. Through his hazy gaze, he spotted Jace walking over sporting a grin, then it changed to a frown. Vision-Alec blinked and it became a smirk.

“Let’s go,” Jace said roughly.

Vision-Alec nodded before black spots started to appear in his vision. All he remembered was falling forward, startling Jace who instantly opened his arms to catch him. And everything around him went black.

When Magnus pulled his hands away, Alec was brought back to reality.

“I drank a Faerie drink by accident,” Alec deadpanned.

Smiling sympathetically, Magnus nodded. “I would think so.”

“I’m an idiot,” Alec said in the same flat tone as Magnus chuckled.

“I guess I’ll have to keep a closer eye on you then,” Magnus said before standing up and placing a kiss on Alec’s forehead.

 

*

 

The day had been extremely long. It was only evening but Alec felt like he had spent forty-eight hours awake. Before the sun had even risen, he, along with a group of Shadowhunters, had to clean out three demon nests. The demons weren’t very strong so it was easy killing them. But that didn’t mean that it wasn’t tiring. After that, they had gone back to the Institute. With hardly enough time to clean up the demon ichor and get some rest, they had received orders to control two newly-turned werewolves who had gone out of control near a fast-food restaurant. That had taken a good hour to clean up the whole mess and get the werewolves under control and to safety. As if they hadn’t done enough for the day, they had gotten orders to take care of a vampire den near the fast-food restaurant. It was winter so the sun had set early, meaning that the vampires had more time to roam the streets. When they had reached the den, it had been infested with decaying bodies and the stench of blood filled the air. No sooner than they had arrived, a group of vampires had immediately charged at them. Killing all of the rogue vampires had taken longer than expected.

By the time Alec had gone back to the Institute, he had been sweaty, tired, and he had just wanted to go home to lie in Magnus’ arms.

But fate had not been on his side. The Clave had wanted him to hold a meeting with the some of the more important Shadowhunters from the Institute to discuss the recent increase in demon nests, out-of-control werewolves, and vampire dens – everything they had dealt with that day. Being the responsible leader that he was, Alec obliged instantly, calling for a meeting as soon as everyone was done washing up.

“We need as much help as we can,” Alec said to his trusted team of Shadowhunters.

“Perhaps we could hire a Warlock for help?” Isabelle suggested and Alec agreed, having thought about it himself.

The first person that naturally came to Alec’s mind was Magnus. “We’ll ask the High Warlock of Brooklyn.”

“I heard he’s pretty drained of magic now though,” Jace piped in and Alec nodded in understanding, surprising his _parabatai_ a little at how unconcerned he seemed. 

Frankly, Alec wasn’t being uncaring about the news, he was just too tired to show any feelings. He saw Jace’s face morph into understanding and knew instantly that the blonde understood how he was feeling.

“After we were done putting down the rogue vampires, one of Luke’s wolves passing by told me that Magnus had rejected to see them. And we all know that Magnus never refuses a client unless he’s really low on power,” Jace continued to explain.

This wasn’t the first time that Magnus had been almost drained of his magic. It made Alec’s gut clench at the thought.

They discussed the issues for a while longer before Alec dismissed the group. As soon as he ended the meeting, Jace and Isabelle were by his side in an instant.

“Do you want to see Magnus?” Isabelle asked worriedly. “I didn’t hear about him being low on magic until Jace mentioned it just now.”

“There wasn’t time to tell any of you,” Jace explained.

Staring at his two siblings in confusion, Alec simply asked, “what?”. He couldn’t catch their exact words but he knew that they were talking to him about Magnus. With weird dreams haunting him for the past fortnight, Alec hadn’t been able to sleep properly. If the strange dreams weren’t occurring, then he simply had too much work to finish, not allowing him to have a proper rest.

Seeing that Alec was so out of his usual sharp self, Jace’s eyebrows knitted together in concern. “Didn’t you hear what I said just now?”

“That Magnus drained of magic?” Alec sounded unsure, making Jace’s frown deepen.

“Yes?” Isabelle answered, raising a brow at Alec, wondering why her oldest brother was acting so strange when the Faerie drink should be out of his system by now. Magnus had informed his two siblings after he had told Alec about it.

“Oh right.” Alec laughed suddenly, earning himself a strange look from Jace and Isabelle. “This must be part of another stupid dream.” He chuckled to himself.

“Alec – ” Isabelle started but Alec was already waving her off.

Looking at his siblings seriously, Alec assured them that he would go to the loft to make sure that Magnus was alright. But then as he walked away, he started laughing to himself again.

After Alec left, Jace and Isabelle looked at each other, worried expressions mirrored on their faces.

“The Faerie’s magic has worn off, right?” Jace asked and Isabelle nodded in affirmation. “Magnus can’t be wrong about this. He’s too powerful to make a wrong deduction about something so small.”

“So, Alec knows this is real?” Isabelle’s tone was uncertain and Jace felt that she had every right to sound unconfident because he was worried about Alec as well.

Folding his arms across his chest, Jace sighed. “I hope so. Because Magnus doesn’t usually run low on magic so this must be really severe.”

 

“Magnus, you alright?” Alec called loudly as soon as he stepped into the loft, the wards around the building welcoming his presence. It felt oddly real, like Alec wasn’t currently trapped in a dream. But Alec wasn’t an expert on Faerie magic and he didn’t know the extent that they could go to. “Magnus?” he tried again, but softer this time.

Not receiving any form of reply, Alec frowned, and started making his way to the bedroom. There, he found the Warlock lying scarily still on the bed, except for the rise and fall of his chest. Magnus’ face was pale, his eyes were squeezed shut, and his brows furrowed as if he were in pain. Dream or not, seeing Magnus so weak made Alec’s heart ache very painfully.

As Alec was about to leave the room to allow Magnus to rest, the Warlock muttered his name so softly that Alec almost missed it.

“Hey,” Alec whispered as he went to the side of the bed, kneeling beside it. “You feeling okay?”

Magnus slowly opened his eyes, his cat eyes looking dull, without any of its usual shine. He must really be extremely weak if his Warlock Mark was showing.

Whatever this dream was about, Alec could only hope that it would end quickly because it pained him to see Magnus suffering like that. Maybe if he went to sleep, he would wake up sooner.

“Fine.” Magnus attempted to say, but it came out as an almost wordless whisper. “Are you feeling better?” he strained to say.

Alec hushed the Warlock gently. “Stop talking, just rest.”

Stubbornly, Magnus shook his head. “Faerie,” he said airily.

Brows knitting in confusion, Alec told Magnus to go back to sleep.

But the other just refused to listen, glaring at Alec with his cat’s eyes. “Faerie,” he repeated a bit louder this time but Alec remained just as confused as before. It must have shown on his face if the exasperated look Magnus gave him was anything to go by. “Dreams.”

The Shadowhunter was too tired for this, but seeing how hard Magnus was trying to speak just to get something through to him, Alec racked his mind to figure out what Magnus was talking about. Suddenly, he remembered his conversation with his siblings back at the Institute and realisation dawned on him.

“Oh gosh,” Alec gasped. “This isn’t a dream, is it?” he said in a panicky tone as he looked at Magnus guiltily. “I thought I was stuck in a dream. It completely slipped my mind that the effects have worn off. By the Angel. I’m so sorry, Magnus, I’m so sorry.”

 _“It’s okay,”_ Magnus mouthed, because talking was clearly too much an effort for him at that very moment.

Alec took Magnus’ hand. “You can take my strength. You’ll heal faster.”

The Warlock simply shook his head, trying to pull his hand out of Alec’s grip but Alec merely tightened his hold, staring seriously into Magnus’ eyes. “Take it. I mean it.”

There was a reluctant look in Magnus’ gaze as he nodded slowly. Alec prepared himself for the sensation of his energy depleting whenever Magnus drew on his power. The Warlock didn’t do it often, and not unless Alec was the one who offered. But the few times Alec had felt his power draining had been scary enough for him to remember the feeling of it forever.

That feeling never came.

Frowning, Alec sent Magnus a questioning look but the Warlock had his eyes shut, his breathing slowing down to a rhythmic tempo, and Alec knew that Magnus was fast asleep. Sighing, Alec released Magnus’ hand.

It had been a long day, but he still had to change out of his gear and take a bath, or at least a shower. Feeling too tired, Alec groaned softly, shrugging off his leather jacket and placing it on the back of a chair before getting on to the bed. Alec didn’t feel good dirtying the bed even though he knew that Magnus wouldn’t mind. But he was simply too tired to move.

“Goodnight, Magnus,” Alec said anyway as he drifted off to sleep.

 

Alec woke to the feeling of fingers running through his hair, massaging his scalp. He hummed at how comfortable it was.

“Morning,” Alec greeted, his voice still croaky from sleep. “Why didn’t you take my strength last night?” he murmured sleepily.

“You were exhausted, Alexander.” There was a reprimanding tone to Magnus’ voice. At least he was back to normal. “I never had the intention to take any of your energy since you asked me to.”

Snapping one eye open, Alec looked at Magnus. “You pretended to sleep?”

A sheepish smile appeared on the Warlock’s face as he continued combing Alec’s hair. “It was the only way to get you to stop asking. I wasn’t going to draw anything from you when you were tired as you were last night. You shouldn’t have asked me to do that.”

Opening his other eye, Alec turned to lie onto his side, and to face Magnus. “I thought it was a dream. I laughed about it at the Institute. Jace mentioned that you were almost drained of your magic during a meeting and I felt anxious then. I wanted to rush home straight away and hold you in my arms. I was so scared. But after the meeting ended, it just slipped my mind and when Jace and Izzy were talking to me about you, all I could think about was how it’s just another dream.”

“You’ve been busy, it’s understandable,” Magnus comforted. “But you can do something if you want to make it up to me.”

“Anything,” Alec said in a serious shower.

“You’re as good as new?”

“Ready to battle demons.”

“Okay, great. Go shower.”

Registering Magnus’ words, Alec groaned and rolled onto his back, Magnus’ fingers slipping from his hair.

“Five minutes.”

“Now.”

 

When Alec was done with the shower, he went back to the bedroom and noticed that the bedsheets have been changed. As always, Magnus was as efficient as ever now that he was fully rested. The Warlock was lounging on the bed under the covers, reading a book. 

“You don’t have to go to the Institute yet?” Magnus asked as he flipped a page.

“Jace called before I went into the shower to tell me _not_ to go in so early today,” Alec said as he climbed under the covers next to Magnus and rested his head on the other’s shoulder.

Chuckling, Magnus asked, “and you take orders from Jace now?”

“He threatened to carry me back all the way.” Alec sounded unamused at the thought of Jace manhandling him.

Humming, Magnus nodded in approval at Jace’s idea. “I’m starting to like your _parabatai_ more and more.”

Alec grimaced. “Just not the way in my nightmare.”

The Warlock gasped, staring at Alec in horror. “Never.”

“Whatever,” Alec said, shrugging, the idea of Magnus and Jace dating too revolting. “But what am I supposed to do now?”

Closing the book, Magnus rested it on the bedside table before gently helping Alec to lie down. After the Shadowhunter was comfortably lying on his side, Magnus lied down to face him. “Sleep some more, angel.”

Rolling his eyes, Alec threw a hand over Magnus’ waist. Within seconds, he was dozing off, but not before hearing Magnus say, “I love you”.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos, comments, and love are all appreciated! They mean a lot to me!
> 
> Talk to me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/chairmancatsby)! Or drop me more 5 + 1 prompts on [Tumblr](https://chairmancatsby.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> xoxo  
> Trix


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